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The Murder of a Kentucky Dairy Queen
A killer no one could have suspected
Madisonville, Kentucky describes itself as “The Best Town on Earth,” and locals agree. Located in the Western Coal Region, Madisonville is a hub for manufacturing and, yes, coal mining. There are multiple public lakes in the area, trails that wind through the rolling blue hills and thick forests, and bustling downtown life. Founded in 1808 and with a 2021 population of just under 20,000 people, if you stick around long enough, Madisonville becomes the type of place where “everyone knows everyone.”
On the mild winter day of January 13, 2003, though, the town’s serenity faced upheaval. Word spread quickly of the murder of a local multi-millionaire and owner of the town’s first Dairy Queen, Anna Mae “Ann” Branson. Branson, 85, had the youthful vigor and sass of a woman thirty years younger. She gave her time to numerous civic causes and, by all accounts, generously shared her wealth.
Beloved by old and young alike, Branson steeped herself in community activities. After her husband of fifty-nine years, Carroll Gooch Branson, died in 1994, her presence in Madisonville remained the same. Anna Mae Branson knew everybody, and everyone knew her.
When Branson’s new fiancé, Dr. Bob Fenneman, came to pick her up for a morning date and received no answer at the door, he called her brother, Earl. When Earl arrived, he couldn’t find the spare key. The two then called the police. Officers arrived to do a wellness check, and they discovered a horrific murder scene.
Branson was found in her basement, and signs of a violent attack surrounded her. She’d struggled with her attacker, who bludgeoned her so severely, Branson was unrecognizable. The killer had also stabbed her 97 times — most of the stab wounds were later determined as post-mortem inflictions.
Who would want to kill Anna Mae Branson? And who could have committed such a violent murder against an 85-year-old grandmother?
Anna Mae’s Wealth
Anna Mae Branson had lived in Madisonville all her life. She had a flamboyant style and always made her presence known. Anna Mae and Carroll Branson came into wealth by starting a hamburger stand in Madisonville in the 1950s. It became…
